Akbar Ali Khan: Parties should sit across table

To solve the controversies over the “election time government” centring the next election, the two major political parties should hold discussions out of the public eye and with a mentality where they are both willing to make sacrifices, said Akbar Ali Khan. He made the statement while addressing the public parliament on “Whether there is a need for interim election time government to hold a fair election” at the FDC auditorium in Dhaka. Debate for Democracy organised the debate programme, with Dhaka International University and Prime Asia University as participants. “For a free and fair election, they [political parties] should change their political culture. The election time government can hold free and fair elections,” the former adviser said. Addressing the programme as chief guest, Akbar Ali Khan proposed formation of several election-time governments, including one with the ruling party elected by the general people. He also suggested that a separate election time caretaker government be formed, with the participation of all parties and with suggestion from the Supreme Court. Regarding the country’s bureaucratic problems, he said the Election Commission did not hold the election alone, as the government officials are also involved with the process.